MidAtlantic Wine & Food Festival set for March 6-10

Source: Submitted Jazz Vibraphonist Joe Baione will perform at the VIP MasterChefs Up Close and Personal event at Harrington Raceway & Casino on Friday, March 8.

A visit by seven former contestants from Gordon Ramsey’s hit TV show "MasterChefs" and the very first Bloody Mary Throwdown are highlights of Kent County’s MidAtlantic Wine & Food Festival set for Wednesday to Sunday, March 6 to10.

“We are pleased to have five events this year,” said Rosemary Twilley, chair of the Kent County Fund for the Arts, the organization serving as the benefactor for the Kent County events. “While tickets are selling fast for our winemakers’ dinner, our Jay Caputo James Beard House dinner and the Bourbon & Bacon event, we have plenty of tickets for MasterChefs and the Bloody Mary Throwdown.”

“MasterChefs: Up Close and Personal” is set for Friday, March 8, at Harrington Raceway & Casino. VIP tickets are $125, and general admission tickets are $75. Seven past contestants from MasterChef will prepare bits of food. The VIP event begins at 5:30 and general admission is at 6:30-8:30 p.m.

Award-winning jazz vibraphonist Joe Baione will perform during the VIP event. Baione’s original compositions, with African and Latin influences, will mix with an array of great jazz standards.

The Kuzens featuring Vicki Golding are on tap for the general admission event. Golding is an Australian-born, award-winning vocalist who recently joined the band after performing with the U.S. Army Band.

The Bloody Mary Throwdown, set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Sunday, March 10, at Nobles Pond Clubhouse in Dover, will feature bartenders competing for bragging rights. Bartenders from Bonz Restaurant, the Duncan Center, Woody’s and the Starboard will concoct their recipes, while attendees will taste and judge. Local restaurants such as Chops Grille at the Sheraton Dover Hotel and Odd Fellows Café in Smyrna will provide brunch bites, and sparkling wines will also be served. Tickets are $50 per person.

In its second year, the MidAtlantic Wine & Food Festival features chefs, winemakers, brewers and distillers from around the world and throughout the region for four days of epicurean adventures in venues that extend throughout Delaware. The event benefits nine major arts organizations in Delaware, including the Kent County Fund for the Arts. The Kent County Fund for the Arts has managed implementation of county-wide events. Tickets may be purchased at www.midatlanticwineandfood.com.

The Kuzens featuring Vicki Golding will perform at the MasterChefs Up Close and Personal event on Friday, March 8.
(Source: Submitted)